Some Recent Eats

We've had some travelling, houseguests, and sicknesses around the Discovery household, so the cooking took a bit of a sidebar, but here are some recent eats. :-)

Spicy Chipotle Meatballs, Real Simple Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Salad, Clean Eating Magazine, March 2011

 Ingredients:
-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Olive oil cooking spray
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-1 tsp chile powder
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/2 sweet onion
-1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
-5 tbsp low-fat buttermilk
-1 to 1 1/2 tbsp all-natural hot sauce
-1 head romaine lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 head red leaf lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
-1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
-2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cookign spray. Lightly mist chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle both sides with paprika, chile powder, and salt. Broil 6-8 inches from heat until center is no longer pink, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into bite sized chunks.
2. In a blender, puree onion, yogurt, buttermilk, and 1 tbsp hot sauce. Taste and add remaining hot sauce if you want more heat. Divide romaine and red leaf lettuce among four plates and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, and chicken, dividing each evenly. Serve yogurt mixture on the side or drizzle evenly over each plate. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately.

The Verdict: Very tasty. Will make again.

Orange Salmon with Asparagus, Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011

Ingredients:
-Zest one orange
-1/4 cup freshly squeezed OJ
-1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
-2 tsp grated ginger
-4 6oz boneless, skinless salmon fillets
- 16 asparagus spears, trimmed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine first four ingredients and set aside.
2. Cut 4 large pieces of parchment paper and place 1 salmon fillet onto each piece. Divide asparagus spears among pieces of parchment, topping the fillets. Pour orange juice mixture over each fillet, and, working with one piece of parchment at a time, wrap fillets in parchment packets.
3. Place parchment packets onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until salmon is solid and firm and asparagus is cooked through but al dente. Serve with quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, or wild rice, if desired.

The Verdict: Very tasty. I've never de-boned a fish, so that was an adventure! :-) Next time, I might marinade the salmon in the juice for a little while. I don't feel like the flavour permeated the fish enough. I will definitely make again!

Have a great day! I start running again tomorrow after a month's hiatus! Gotta get in shape for that half!

Steak with Argentine Herb Sauce Recipe

Courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine

Yummy! :-)

Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (I used basil... I am out of oregano!)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
Pepper
4 (2 1/2 pounds total, each 1 inch thick) New York beef strip steaks (I used 1.5 lbs of good, lean steak to make 4 servings)

Directions

1.Prepare outdoor (or indoor if you live in a teeny apt like me!) grill for direct grilling on medium-high. Fit wire rack into jelly-roll pan.

2.Prepare herb sauce: In food processor with knife blade attached, combine parsley, cilantro, and garlic; pulse until finely chopped. Add oil, vinegar, oregano, red pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; pulse to blend.

3.Pat steaks dry. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper all over steaks. Immediately place on grill; cook 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare or until desired doneness, turning over every 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Let stand 5 minutes.

4.Stir any meat juices into herb sauce. Slice steak; serve with sauce.

The Verdict: We liked the bite the sauce had, but it just didn't hit it off with our taste buds. I liked it in a thiiiin layer on top, but I wasn't eating chunks of it on top of the steak. I'm glad I plated it the way I did. I don't think this one will grace our plates again, but it wasn't awful.

I served it with purple cauliflower and Annie's Low Sodium Mac 'n Cheese for a nice, colourful plate. I think that was accomplished, though the cauliflower was a little bitter. Oh well. Another meal bites the dust!

I'm headed to the gym soon for a good working out. Tomorrow we are headed to an amusement park with college friends- I am SO excited!!

Baked Manicotti Bundles

Courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine March 2011

I already took out my two to eat... so you could see the inside of the manicotti... riiiight...

Ingredients

olive oil or cooking spray
3 to 4 green onions
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 carrot peeled
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
12 oz tilapia filets
4 oz light cream cheese (I used light ricotta instead)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp dried dill (I think I used about 2 tbsps!)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella (I used pepper jack for the sauce... I was out of mozzarella, so I ran to the store while it was in the oven and then sprinkled the top with the mozzarella... that's why it's not browned on top... that and I had to leave sooner than I thought)
fresh dill for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a glass pan with olive oil cooking spray and set aside.

2. Rinse onions well trim off white tops and discard. Carefully score the connected layers so that you have strands, set aside.

3. Prepare lasagna noodles according to instructions, rinse, set aside. During the last 90 seconds of cooking, add strands of onions to soften then set aside.

4. Grade carrot, set aside.

5. In a large non stick pan, over medium heat, add oil, heat and add tilapia. Shake pan so fish does not stick. Cover and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook for a minute more or until fish is no longer opaque. Remove from heat.

6. Mix cream cheese, together with milk, dill and salt (I forgot! No wonder it felt like it was lacking!) in a medium saucepan. Whisk constantly until mixture is melted and creamy. Add half of mozzarella in. Stir in carrots and tilapia and remove from heat.

7. Lay lasagna noodles out on a cutting board, place 2 tbsp of the mixture at the bottom of the noodle and roll away from you. Make a bundle that stays together without squeezing out the filling. Tie each bundle with an onion layer and place in the pan.

8. Place remaining mozzarella over bundles and top with dill and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serves: 4


The Verdict: Tasty. It needed salt, but then I realized I didn't put it in. Haha. I would make this again with a few changes. More dill, for sure. :-)

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

I know! Two posts in one day! CRAZY!

Well, here's another recipe from Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011!

Again, my plating skills stink... haha.

Ingredients:
Tomatillo Sauce:

- olive oil cooking spray
- 1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, cleaned and halved
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- juice from 1 lime or lemon
- 1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt

Quesadillas:

- 1 tbdp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 zucchini, washed and sliced into thin rounds
- 1 6 (or 8) oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
- colby jack or mexican blend cheese (or cheddar if you run out of both!)
- Whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
For the tomatillo sauce:
1. Preheat grill to high and coat with cooking spray.
2. Place tomatillos cut side down and grill 10-12 minutes or until softened. This seemed long... which is evidenced by the color of my tomatillo sauce. I would cut in half almost.
3. Remove from grill and pulse in food processor with cilantro and lime until pureed. Season with salt and garlic powder and set aside.

For the quesadillas...
4. Combine cumin, chili powder, and salt  in a small bowl.
5. Toss in a bowl with prepared vegetables to coat completely.
6. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on the grill and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.
7. Grill the chickn until cooked through and grill marks appear, 10-15 minutes.
8. Assemble quesadillas by layering cheese, vegetables, and cheese on one half of the tortilla.
9. Place on grill and grill until cheese melts, flip over and grill until browned and cheese melts
10. Cut in quarters and serve with the yummy tomatillo sauce.

Serves 4.

The verdict: Delish! I accidentally burned the bottom of my quesadillas. I thought my panini press would brown the tops, but it didn't. Oh well. I loved the tomatillo sauce, even though mine turned out a different color. Haha. Definitely will make again!
One of my favourite blogs, Branny Boils Over, did this recipe a few days ago, but sans chicken. You can check it out here.

I am ashamed...

I've been a bad blogger. Really when have I been a good blogger? ;-) I've been cooking a lot of fun meals lately, but I've been apathetic about photographing my meals. I do have a few recipes for you all, though.

Not a whole lot has been happening around the house lately. DH hasn't had as many weddings to photograph this fall, which has been nice because it means we can spend more lazy weekends around the apartment. One miracle is that I've been a little better about staying on top of the chores around the house, which is nice. Now our dishwasher's being annoying, so we'll have to get one of the maintenance people out here to fix it. I cook too much not to have a working dishwasher.

We recently had the fall kickoff for our Youth Ministry at church, which was awesome. I am so looking forward to the things that God will do this year in our Lower (and Upper) School Ministry! A few favourite photos...

One of my favourite friends ever!

Two beautiful girls in my lifegroup!

Gonna miss these girls! (They are going up to Upper School) :-(

Two more girls in my lifegroup doing motions for Mercy is Falling

Worship led by Aaron and Jordan (and others)

I haven't been able to get in much substitute teaching so far this year, so I spend most of my days watching country music videos, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy, planning meals, and playing games on the internet. Oh what an exciting life I lead. I made a commitment to start running for real when September hit and I've been good so far about getting to the gym or on the road (it all depends on the weather). I've run just over 13 miles so far this month, which is not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but it's pretty darn good for me just starting out again. I plan on doing at least 3 miles tonight on the treadmill (it's a hot one today).

Anyway... Some eats...

Basil Chicken in a Coconut-Curry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 16 oz chicken breast
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 of a large red onion, cut into thin wedges (1 cup)
• 2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 13.5- or 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, low fat fine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 servings hot cooked rice

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the chili powder. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add to spice mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat. 
2. Spray oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic to wok; cook and stir about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove onion mixture from wok. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken. (I have a huge wok, so I cooked it all at once)
3. Stir together coconut milk, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Carefully add to wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Return chicken and the onion mixture to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.

Review: More like Curry Chicken in Coconut-Basil Sauce, but you can't taste the sweetness of the coconut... or the basil. Maybe my curry is too spicy. I still LOVED the recipe though. It was DELICIOUS. I can't wait to eat the leftovers in a couple of minutes.

Beef and Chipotle Burritos

no photo available

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 9- to 10-inch tomato-flavored or plain flour tortillas, warmed
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
• 1 recipe Pico de Gallo Salsa
• Shredded jicama or radishes (optional)
• Dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 6 pieces. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat from cooker. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Place meat in a large bowl. Stir in enough cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. Divide meat among warm tortillas, spooning it just below the centers. Top with cheese, Pico de Gallo Salsa, and, if desired, jicama and sour cream. Roll up tortillas. Makes 6 servings.

Pico de Gallo Salsa: In a medium bowl combine 2 finely chopped medium tomatoes; 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion; 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro; 1 fresh serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (see tip); and dash sugar. Cover; chill several hours.

Review: This was my second attempt at a slow-cooker meal after a miserable fail about a year ago. I LOVE this recipe. This will have to be a regular recipe. It was SO good. Very spicy, but not too spicy. We didn't use the jicama or the sour cream. It was sooooooooo good though. Yum.

Wow! 101 posts!

My last post was my 100th post! How cool (and appropriate that it was about Disney)!

I apologize for the lack in posts lately. DH's car gave us a LOT of trouble last week and $1250 later, it is almost all better. Sigh.

We've had some good eats lately, I tell you what.

Cajun Jambalaya, Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, 26/30 size, peeled and deveined, tail on
• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 1 all natural low sodium turkey sausage (I used two Jennie O's links), sliced
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 1 med green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and discarded, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 1/2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup all-natural instant brown rice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Olive Oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* F
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients except cooking spray, mixing well until combined.
3. Prepare 2 foil pouches. Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly between both pieces of foil and seal.
4. Place pouches on a baking tray and slide onto middle rack of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until rice and proteins are fully cooked.
5. Carefully open pouch and pour mixture into a large bowl to serve immediately.

Modifications: I don't actually own Cajun seasoning, so I made my own. I also added some red pepper flakes and used rice that was already cooked in my rice maker. My shrimp were not peeled, because unpeeled shrimp are cheaper.

The Verdict: I loved this dish! I thought it was delicious! I think DH enjoyed it too.


Sweet and Sour Chicken, Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more...)
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (I added)
• 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes (I omitted)
• 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Place the chicken in a large shallow dish. Pour mixture over chicken, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and saute for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add bell peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add pineapple (if using) and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.

Verdict: I LOVED THIS DISH. DH was okay with it. He wanted more sweet taste and a little more spice. When I make it again, I will add more spice for sure. I'll also experiment with other veggies, like broccoli, water chestnuts, et cetera.

I made another dish from Clean Eating Magazine this week, but it was a fail. Big time. It ranked in the bottom three meals ever. The worst was moussaka, next is the Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole. I made cabbage wraps. The filling was good, which is why I'm glad I reserved some of that for lunches this week, because it made a good little burrito today; especially when paired with my homemade baked tortilla chips and Tom Leonard's FIRE salsa (I love the spice!).

In other news: I've been running TWICE since the last post!

Last Thursday I did four five minute runs broken up by 2 minute walk breaks. It went pretty well. Today I did a five minute run, two eight minute runs, and another five minute run broken up with 2 minute walk breaks. I did 2.75 miles in 32 minutes, which is pretty decent.I haven't had any knee pain yet, which is really nice, but I have been having pain around my rib cage where the shelf bra and sports bra end. Perhaps they are too tight, but it really hurts after a while. We'll see what happens. I hope everyone's having a lovely day and that you enjoy these recipes!!

So easy...

Well, Monday I opened my door to see a plethora of mail strewn about our stoop because it wouldn't all fit in our tiny and ineffectual mailbox. Included in this mail was a new Cricut cartridge, a new lens hood for DH's beloved camera, and...

Photo credit (also a link to subscribe!)

I have a slight love affair with Food Network so, when they came out with a magazine, I subscribed. For three years (it was only $30 for three years since the mag was so new!). Well anyway, this little beauty shows up and I look at the cover and say to myself "Self, this is what you are making for dinner." So I did just that.

I've decided that you can mix corn with pretty much any other veggies and it'll be delicious. The recipe is a succotash (always makes me think of Sylvester from Looney Toons), but I didn't have lima beans (nor does DH like them), so I don't know if this qualifies anymore.

Ingredients for my "succotash"

2 cups corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I think grape would be better)
1 medium yellow squash diced into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in pan and cook until squash is tender and begins to brown.

The other dish was a cheese stuffed chicken. The mag's was Pepper-jack Chicken. Don't get me wrong, I like Pepper-jack, and my husband LOVES it, so I made his with PJ, but I also had some goat cheese and dill that I was dying to use up before expiration, so I made myself...

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Dill

Ingredients
1 oz goat cheese
1 tsp dill
1 4 oz chicken breast
Cajun seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil for brushing

Mix goat cheese with dill. Cut a two-inch wide pocket in breast and stuff pocket with cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Cajun spices, salt, and pepper then brush with olive oil. Place on preheated grill until cooked through.

This was amazing. I made the same for DH but used PJ instead of goat cheese and dill. He said it was one of the best chicken dishes I've made... and it's not even that fancy or creative! Sorry for the lack of photographs. DH's camera battery was dead. :-( With this dinner, I also made Omaha Steak's twice-baked potatoes. Nowhere near clean eating, but SUPER delicious!

***

I had substitute orientation today with the school for which I had the English teacher position interview. They filled all but one class internally and then hired someone with coaching experience for the last one. If only I'd played sports in high school. I'd love to coach! (First I'd have to get back in shape!) Oh well. There's a new job opportunity in sight, but it's low on the possibilities totum pole, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. At least the HR rep at this school said to each one of the heads of schools (lower, middle, upper) that she wanted to use me a lot. It helps that I live extremely close to the school and that I'm awesome.

Well, it is currently monsooning outside (which we desperately need) and I am currently being told by my stomach that it is hungry (which it shouldn't be). I hope all two people who read this have a lovely day!

Recipes and an update on a post from long ago!

Two more recipes from Real Simple Magazine...

Grilled Shrimp with Lemony Potato Salad

Ingredients

1 pound baby red potatoes (about 12)

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 pound asparagus (Pre-trimmed weight)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds medium shell-on shrimp
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)

Directions

1.Place the potatoes in a medium pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, run under cold water to cool, and cut into quarters.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the potatoes, celery, and chives and toss to combine.

3.Meanwhile, heat grill to medium-high. In a bowl, toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a second bowl, toss the shrimp with the seafood seasoning and the remaining tablespoon of oil.

4.Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Grill the shrimp until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve the shrimp and asparagus with the potato salad.
 
Review: WOW. This is a keeper. I mean, okay... the shrimp and asparagus are nothing fancy as far as prep is concerned, but the grilling brought out such great flavours! I only used 1 lb of shrimp, so DH and I ate... all the shrimp... Also, the original recipe calls for a 1/2 lb of asparagus, trimmed (I assume that means that it should be 1/2 lb after you trim...) for four people. Um... Yeah right. I bought a whole pound (pre-trim), which I assume works out to a bit above 1/2 lb trimmed, and we ate all the asparagus with no problem. In fact, I wanted more. Haha. This was my first time making potato salad and I loved it. Especially the second day!
 
And...
 
Salmon with Dill Sauce

Photo by Romulo Yanes for Real Simple

(because mine was not photogenic)

Directions (Ingredients in bold)

1.Season 4 6-ounce pieces skinless salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Cook in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until opaque, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

2.Mix ½ cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons each lemon juice, chopped capers, and chopped dill; season with salt and pepper.

3.Serve the salmon with a vegetable of choice. (I chose steamed zucchini and Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese)
 
Review: This recipe was good: not okay, but not great. It was just somewhere in the middle. Also, I forgot to save a lemon for the sauce, so... that could have some bearing on the quality. It was missing some brightness, I will say. I like the Lee Bros.'s Salmon with Buttermilk Mint Sauce recipe better, which feels like blasphemy since I LOVE dill.

So... many a moon ago... 10 months to the day, in fact... I posted this blog about wanting to run a marathon. Well, amazingly, I have completed the first four goals that I wrote out for myself. Unfortunately, the other goals will have to be rewritten. I actually feel really good about having completed four of the seven goals. For me to have run a 10k is such an accomplishment, considering where I used to be with running. Unfortunately, I am almost back at square one again. I'm hoping that once I actually start running again, my legs will remember with some re-training, but having taken three months off... I don't know. Like I said in a post a few days ago, I went running with my sister-in-law in Texas and about died after a mile. So, it is now time to set new goals because I really do miss running (NEVER thought I'd say that!).

• I really want to run a 5k. I thought my alma mater was having one for homecoming in 2 months, but I can't find any info on it, so they must not be having one this year.
• I really want to run a half marathon sometime in the early Spring.
• I really want to run the Ukrop's 10k again on April 2, 2011.

That's it for now. If I can make it through those three goals, then I will reassess and see if a marathon is really what I want to do. I still think it would be a wonderful, amazing, unbelievable accomplishment, especially for me, the girl who dreaded (unhealthily) running the mile in gym class in elementary, middle, and high school. We'll see and I'll keep you posted!

Happy August!

We spent this past weekend in Lynchburg for a wedding, which was so fun. It was such a joy to see our college friends again, especially since so many of them live so far away!

Us in our attire for the wedding

Having been out of town for soooo long, I've not been able to cook very much, but I will post some food pictures that I have from a bit ago!

Caribbean Catfish Po'Boys with a Greek Yogurt/Goat Cheese Spread 

(Clean Eating Magazine)

Me consuming said Po'Boy

Honey Mustard Chicken with Kale and Red Pepper Rice

(Clean Eating Mag)

This week, I have some very delicious recipes all ready to go! :-)

So... I haven't exercised in a thousand years... Until last week. I ran with my sister-in-law in Texas... more like I dragged myself across the pavement... I got through a slow mile, then decided that I was going to die. Haha. I would really like to get back into it now. My university has a 5k set for Homecoming, and I'd really like to do it!

In other news... I GOT A CRICUT! SUPER FUN shall ensue! :-)

If you desire the recipe for either of these foods, I will gladly post them, but I'm not in the mood to type them up right now. Haha. :-)

FOOD!

I know you've all been waiting for a FOOD update! Well, here we go!

Wednesday night I made Asian Burgers. I foolishly did not photograph them, but I do have an artist's representation of their deliciosity.

Hahaha. Gotta love Paint!

I'll try to break it down. Unfortunately, when I make up a recipe, I don't really measure things. Haha.

1 lb leanest ground beef

1 tsp EVOO

1ish tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Sucanat (needed some sweetness!)

Mix the aforementioned ingredients thoroughly and form into 4 evenly distributed patties.

While grilling burgers, saute some mushrooms with low sodium soy sauce and red wine vinegar. When burgers are almost done, top with mushrooms and a slice of cheese (I used pepper jack because it's what we had). Let the cheese melt a bit. Yum.

Place assembled burgers on Arnold's Sandwich Thins (stole this idea from Whitney) and enjoy with your fave preperation of oven fries! I choose these lovelies (no picture, just recipe). I <3 me some parmesan oven fries!

Last night we had... what to call this dish... well, maybe you can leave me a name for it as a comment... I'm drawing a blank. I will warn you that there is a lot of multitasking in this recipe!

8 oz (when dry) cooked whole wheat penne pasta

1 package Jennie-O's hot italian sausage

Grape Tomatoes (3/4-1 cup)

Spinach (maybe 2 cups? I think I did 2-3 handfulls)

2 tbsp butter (or marg)

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1.5 cups skim milk

2 cloves garlic

Dried herbs of choice

1 tbsp EVOO

Remove casing from sausage and cut into bite sized pieces. Cook in cast iron skillet until browned on both sides.

Heat EVOO and one clove sliced garlic in another skillet. Remove garlic and add tomatoes. Break town tomatoes, smashing them as they get hot. add to cooked sausage. Turn heat off sausage pan and add the spinach, letting it wilt when mixed into sausage/tomato mixture.

Meanwhile, make a white sauce by melting butter in a small sauce pan. Add flour and whisk to make a roux, then add the milk, whisking to combine. Add finely chopped garlic and a couple of pinches of dried herbs. I used Italian Herbs. When the sauce has thickened, combine the pasta, sausage mixture, and sauce in a large serving bowl. I added all the sauce, which was not necessary, but at the end, I drained the extra sauce out to use in a recipe later this week. You can also just add as much as you'd like (about half the recipe is enough) and save the rest if you want it to be more versatile for a later recipe.

It was.... DELICIOUS. SO SO SO good. I have leftovers that I am about to consume. I know that my "recipe writing skills" for these recipes kind of stink, but oh well. The food is good, so if you want to make it, you'll have to put up with it! :-)

If you wish to name the recipe, the key ingredients would be: Penne, a white garlic herb sauce, hot turkey sausage, tomatoes and spinach. Maybe I'll think of something!

Weekend/Monday Update

Good day to all!

This weekend was Youth Weekend at our church, and I lead a small group of 6th grade girls. It was a blast!

For lunch yesterday, we had...

Steak Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce

The taco, assembled!

The avocado cream sauce... with toppings behind. :-)

These were easy, easy, easy. I just seasoned the steak with some mexican spices, cooked it up in my cast iron, put it in corn tortillas, and served them with lettuce, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cilantro and of course... the avocado cream sauce:

Ingredients:

1 avocado, pitted, peeled
6 oz greek yogurt
1 jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

Put all ingredients in food processor with standard blade and pulse until well combined.

And... for dinner tonight...

Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Onions, Cranberries, and Balsamic-Glazed Asparagus

Caramelize 1 medium yellow onion over low heat in nonstick or cast iron pan for 20 minutes, add 2 tbsp dried unsweetened cranberries, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

When the cranberries hit the pan, put ~1 lb asparagus (trimmed, on cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper), in a 350* oven for 15 minutes.

Heat pan over med-high, add four 4oz chicken breasts (pounded to same thickness) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add onions and cranberries and cook for 2 minutes.


Tomorrow night, we are headed to Charlottesville for an Iron and Wine concert- CAN'T WAIT!! :-) Everybody have a lovely night!

I love me some Tuesday...

Good evening, blog readers! I have been MIA from my blog for the weekend, but I am back, never fear!

I have two meals from Clean Eating Magazine for you, so look forward to that! :-) I officially started P90x for reals last night, now that I have all the DVDs. I'm excited about transforming my body... haha, that sounds super cheesy! Today, I subbed in 1st grade and tomorrow I have my health assessment at DH's work for insurance purposes. I have a feeling I'll get another 100%!

My meals for the day...

B: Mini Wheats (yes... the frosted kind... I couldn't get into my regular breakfast of...

Trader Joe's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, Honey we got on vacay in SC, Whole Wheat toast! 

L: Leftover Chicken Pomodoro
D: Salmon Patties with Zucchini and Squash
S: Banana with PB
S: Dark Chocolate
Things I shouldn't have eaten: 1/4 of a small DQ blizzard (leftovers from Thursday), Two packages of smarties

And now... I'll give you the photos for my lunch today and dinner tonight.

Chicken Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta

I made my own sauce for the first time and bought FRESH feta from Tom Leonard's... YUM

and...

Salmon Patties with Sauteed Squash and Zucchini

The patties were more like... crumbles... but still tasty. Also... I bought the wrong kind (and size) of canned salmon. There was a spine. In my can. Ew. I don't think we ate too many pin bones. ;-)

Well, I'd better get to the dishes... yay. Then P90x Day 2: Plyometrics!

As promised yet again...

This is the last recipe of the week of wonders. I forgot to get the cream cheese, then the night we went to the store before the snow storm, we forgot to pick it up. SO we had to wait until yesterday to get it, but then the Chinese food came into our house and well... we started the week with an arriba!

Enchilada Lasagna

(no photo available... it wasn't "pretty")

1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 pkg (8 oz.) low fat cream cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
6 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions:
1. In a large skilled, cook the turkey, onion, and peppers over med. heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.
2. Pour enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl. Dip tortillas in sauce to coat. Place two tortillas in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; spread with half of the turkey mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.
3. Cover and freeze for up to three months or bake, uncovered, at 400* for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

This was REALLY yummy. I might have to make one to freeze for later as an emergency meal. :-)

As promised the third...

Crustless Spinach Quiche
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine (slightly adapted)

Ingredients:
4 oz smoked gouda cheese, cut into pieces
1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 15 oz container skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
6-8 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp (or more...) Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven, place a baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 450*. Lightly grease a 9-inch round or 8-inch square baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Pluse the gouda in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the spinach, whole eggs and egg whites, ricotta, flour, and nutmeg and process until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the scallions and pulse to mix.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan and paprika. Place the quiche on the preheated baking sheet and bake until the center is just set, 25-30 minutes.
4. Serve the quiche hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 280.0
Total Fat 12.5 g
Saturated Fat 7.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.7 g
Cholesterol 162.3 mg
Sodium 549.5 mg
Potassium 369.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18.6 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 5.0 g
Protein 25.7 g

SUPER AMAZING. SUPER GOOD. MUST TRY. :-)

As Promised Part Deux

I promised you awesome recipes this week and I am delivering numero dos to you. This was Tuesday's meal.

Sirloin Steak with Grainy Mustard Sauce and Parmesan Steak "Fries"
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy

Sorry for the bad plating, but DH was running late for a music rehearsal.

Ingredients for Steak:
2 tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 cups dry white wine
1 boneless sirloin steak, about 1 1/4 lbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tbsp whole-grain mustard

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the steak. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the steak, turning once, for 6-8 minutes total for medium rare, or to desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add any juices from the steak on the grill pan to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in any juice from the cutting board into the sauce. Thinly slice the steak and divide among 4 plates. Spoon the sauce over the steak and serve the fries (recipe to follow) alongside.

Parmesan Steak Fries
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy

(no picture available)

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2-3 russet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs total) peeled or unpeeled
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly chopped basil
Salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450* and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut each of the potatoes into even "fry-sized" slices. Make sure they can lie flat on the cooking sheet. Put the potatoes in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the oil.
Place the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the potatoes with cheese and basil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, until they are crisp and golden brown; there is no need to turn them. Season with salt and serve immediately.

THESE ARE DELICIOUS. DH could NOT stop talking about them. I used shredded Parm instead of grated, which in the end, I would not recommend because it doesn't really stick to the fries, but it did make nice little cheese crisps on the baking sheet. :-) Yum.

SO... I went to the gym yesterday and asked the fitness specialist about my knee and she gave me some stability exercises to do to strengthen my knee. She also stretched me out really well. I ran a quick mile on the treadmill, but my Zune died and the TV sound plug in kept shocking me, so I gave up. :-/ Oh well. At least I did something. Tuesday, I did a Billy Blanks (don't hate) Bootcamp DVD and I am soooore. I'm glad it works at least! :-) I might have to go out to Target today and get some stability balls and stuff to help my knees!

As Promised

Garlic-Basil Shrimp
Courtesy of Ellie Krieger, So Easy

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/4 lbs large shrimp (20-25 per lb) peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked orzo pasta, preferably whole wheat

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over med-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook just until heated through. Serve with the orzo.

Serving Size:
1 cup shrimp mixture and 3/4 cup orzo

Per Serving:
Calories: 380
Total Fat: 10g (Sat: 1.5, Mono: 5.5, Poly: 2)
Protein: 35g
Carb: 35g
Fiber: 4g
Cholesterol: 215mg
Sodium: 490mg

I made a half batch, and it was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this to everyone. :-)

Clean-Out-The-Fridge Soup

Okay. Last week I bought WAY too much produce for too many recipes that looked good. I didn't want to waste more money than I already have on the ground turkey I forgot to use. So, I took a cue from Tosca Reno and just made a soup out of everything I had in the fridge that worked. I present to you... Clean-Out-The-Fridge Soup:

Ingredients:

1 large green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 large stalks of celery
2 thick carrots (I should have done three... I LOVE carrots in soups!)
1 cup chopped green cabbage
3 cloves of garlic pressed through a garlic press
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
1 palmful oregano
1 palmful cumin
1 palmful paprika
2 pinches of rubbed sage
1 package of pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
32 oz of Low Sodium Chicken Stock (I used two 14 oz cans and some leftovers from soup last week)
1 14 oz can low-sodium diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans pinto beans
1 1/2 cups (or more...) of frozen corn


Sautee the first 6 items in stock pot with Olive Oil and spices for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the sausage. Add spices to this if desired.
Add stock, tomatoes, beans, and sausage to vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
Add corn and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy. I sure did. :-)

Clean Eating Potato Skins

Adapted from Nov/Dec Issue of Clean Eating Magazine

5 small Potatoes (about 150 grams each)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
1-2 Green Onions
4 slices Turkey Bacon
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika

Poke holes in potatoes with a fork, place in microwave for about 10 minutes, or until "fork tender". Cut in half and dig out the inside of the potato with a spoon leaving between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of the potato. Place on greased cooking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle spices over skins (careful with that cayenne!). Bake for 10 minutes at 425*.

Meanwhile, cook turkey bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon and slice green onions (enough to sprinkle a few slices on each skin).

Take skins out of oven, sprinkle with cheese (as much as you want, I guess... I mean, the real recipe says some specific amount, but it's in the kitchen and I'm watching the Hokies beat the Vols in the Chick-fil-a bowl, sooo...), bacon, and green onions. Continue baking another 15 minutes or until potatoes are browned.

Serve immediately with sour cream on the side.

DEEEELISH. Great football game snack.

Make a healthy version of a traditional Hanukkah recipe...

turned into this (ignore the dirty stove):

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/latkes____potato_pancakes

•1-1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

•8 oz (about 2 large) carrots, peeled

•8 oz. (about 2 large) parsnips, peeled

•1/2 cup diced onion

•1 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta cheese

•1/2 cup egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)

•2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Grate potatoes, carrots and parsnips. Working in small batches, press tightly between paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine with remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into muffin tins, packing down firmly. Bake 45-55 minutes until golden brown.
Serves 12.

Review:

• Bland...
• Uninteresting...
• Went for Subway instead.

Tips:

• More potatoes and fewer carrots/parsnips
• More seasoning (not just S/P)
• Really press those suckers in the muffin tin

Oh well... I tried a new veggie (parsnips), I posted a recipe, and I made a "healthy" Hanukkah recipe! Points galore! ;-)

As promised...

Tosca Reno's White Chicken Chili
Serves 8-10
From The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook

3 medium Poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 medium Jalepeno chili peppers, seeded and deveined, chopped
2 Vidalia onions, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
1 large leek, white only, well rinsed and chopped
6 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water or low sodium chicken stock
2 x 15 oz cans of navy, cannellini, or other small white bean or combination, drained and rinsed
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used about 2 and 1/4 and it was PLENTY)
Juice from 2 fresh limes
Juice from 2 fresh lemons
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 green onions, trimmed and chopped for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, place all chiles, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, cumin, oregano, basil, rosemary, olive oil,  sea salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat until onions become translucent--about ten minutes.
2. Add 8 cups cooking liquid, beans, and cubed chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer for 40 minutes. Add lime and lemon juices, cilantro, and green onions. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Loooove it.